More Geek

The history of Razer is one of the most tumultuous stories of just about any hardware company around. Since 1997 Razer has fought for survival in a very tough market, competing against giant corporations like Microsoft and Logitech. If this was not enough, the company has had to survive things like natural disasters and the insolvency of their production partner just to be able to produce their beloved mice.

Seven years after the company’s founding, Razer has developed their first mousing surface, the eXactMat. After producing such innovative products as the Boomslang mouse and the Viper optical mouse you know these guys know how to make a solid mouse but does that mean Razer can produce a quality mousing surface? In this review we’ll be taking a look at the eXactMat and see if its worth the hype.

Arrival

I received the Razer eXactMat long with a Viper optical mouse in a large red box. Before I inspected the packing list I could not figure out what would be in a box this size. Soon afterwards I found the mat and mouse carefully placed in the box along with a pile of crumbled up paper. Both items arrived in perfect condition.

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Inspection

The eXactMat arrived in a “MAT Pak”. This is neoprene carrying case for your mouse pad. As the mouse pad is constructed of solid aluminum this bag is very handy for transport. Though the pad is relative light, it could definitely scratch or even break one of your parts if it hit it the right way. Accordingly the bag is able to prevent that while keeping your eXactMat in good condition.

The LAN bag is a limited edition so if you want one you should probably act fast. It is only available while supplies last and if you buy direct from Razerzone.com.

Here is what the Retail edition of eXactMat’s packaging will look like. Its no neoprene traveling case, but it does look really cool. I love their logo…

[ neat-o! ]

Our mouse mat came with this nice certificate. It basically says that our eXactMat was part of Razer’s First Edition and it was produced on 1 July 2004. The ‘Razerguy’ himself was nice enough to sign it. While I am not about to frame this certificate or put it on my ‘fridge, it is a nice gesture and it goes to show you the pride Razer puts in its products.

Here is the eXactMat with a CD on top, so you can better understand its size. The mat is very large at 10.4″ x 13″ x 0.1″ (265 x 330 mm x 2.5 mm) and is strangely shaped. This shape should be very conducive to gaming but we’ll see if this holds true in our testing.

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After a close examination of the pad you can see that it is a solid piece of anodized aluminum coated on each side with a different surface. On the ‘Speed’ side the jet black coating is quiet smooth. Razer says this side is designed “for high-sensitivity users” but I figure is it best for people using optical mice.

The other side of the mouse pad is the ‘Control’ side which is the same jet black coating but with a rougher texture. This side is designed for people with ball-style mice and “for low-sensitivity and professional design users”. Though not as smooth as the opposite side, the ‘Control’ texture also works well with optical mice but it is a bit louder and there is more friction.

As you can see in the pictures, both sides have very large Razer graphics on them. These seem to be made into the surface of the mat as there is no transition or crease between the green and the black. While Razer did a good job making these logos I think the eXactMat would look a lot nicer if they had just tucked it in the corner, nice and small.

The black part you see is actually a kind of aluminum, so it is part of the mouse pad’s core piece. This means that there is no possibility of it separating from the rest of the mouse pad as it gets older. This black surface is an extremely hard and durable aluminum which has been anodized. It raised off the core piece by about the thickness of a piece of paper.

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I had a really tough time photographing the texture of each side of the mat. In the pictures below you can get a pretty good ideal of feel of each side.

[control side- rough]

[ speed side- super smooth]

Here you can not only see the corner but you can get a pretty good look at the mouse’s rubber feet. The eXactMat has eight (four on each side) of these rubber pieces. These are stuck on the mat with a very strong adhesive and do a great job of preventing any movement of the mat on your desk. Since they are elevated a bit the mat does flex the slightest bit when the complete weight of your hand pushes down on its middle. This is barely noticeable and does not affect performance.

From the side the mouse pad is rather thin, at 2.5mm even with the rubber pads on the corner. The bare aluminum that outlines the mousing surface is beveled so it is not sharp against your skin.

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Testing

I tested the eXactMat using a Razer Viper optical mouse and a Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 4.0. I did so by playing a number of games that have I have been enjoying lately, namely Halo, Unreal Tournament 2004, Max Payne 2, and then doing some graphic design work. I figured Halo and UT2004 would be able to measure the accuracy of the mouse pad during quick movements, the design work would be for slow precise movements, and MP2 would be a mix of the two, as it is an action game but one that demands maximum accuracy.

After a few hours of gaming and graphics I noticed improved performance over the pad I have been using lately, the Corepad. Though the Corepad does a great job I think its glass surface is not as conducive to mousing as the aluminum surface of the eXactMat. I found Razer’s eXactMat to be very quiet and very accurate. I predominantly used the ‘Speed’ side but this held true with the ‘Control’ side as well, though it was a bit louder and there was a touch more friction.

Another characteristic of this pad I noticed is its durability- the eXactMat is just about bomb-proof. The hard, anodized aluminum surface seems like it will out last just about any pad on the market. Finally, I tried to flex the eXactMat, to see how it would hold up during problematic transportation. Even pushing hard it would barely move. Afterwards the mat returned to being perfectly flat.

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Conclusion

Well, I’ve seen a lot of mouse pads in my day and I can truthfully say that Razer’s eXactMat is one of the best. This was a mouse pad with a lot of hype behind it and it is admirable that Razer was able to produce what they said they would.

I like this mat for its two textures, its looks, its durability, and most of all, its performance. Gaming and everyday mouse use was made easier and more accurate because of this mat, and that’s what it is all about. The eXactMat is quiet, efficient, if you are gaming, it could be deadly (for the competition that is).

As for downsides this pad has relatively few. First of all, $29.99 is a bit of an investment for a mousing surface, but not exorbitant. Previously if you wanted a mouse pad that offered the performance of this one you would generally have to spend as much, if not more. Also, I feel that this is a good looking mouse pad but it would look a lot better without the huge logos right in the middle of things. Finally there have been concerned about the rubber feet coming off. After inspecting them and their adhesive, I don’t think this will be a problem. Even so maybe Razer could throw you an extra foot or two, just in case.